The_sobster

Well, it's over. The Edinburgh Marathon has been completed and I can actually feel my legs. Result. On the down side my face appears to be glowing in the dark.

After months of training and hours of planning and organisation I was ready for this weekend. All my kit was packed. I had a folder full of confimations, maps and forms. I was Miss Organised 2010. Unfortunately fate had different plans. Firstly the hotel kicked both me and my friend Collette out due to double booking. Then I managed to nearly die driving around Edinburgh trying to find Hope Street (note: it's pedestrian. #Fail). I also managed to get the wrong bus and ended up in Leith at 10pm with no idea where the hell I was and no further buses, and finally the weather forecasters all lied like flatfish and instead of 19 degrees and overcast/showers, we had 27 degrees of sweaty, burny sun. Rant over, back to the race.

26.2 miles is (by definition) a buggeringly long way. Nibbling anything more than a biscuit and my fingernails the night before was pretty much impossible due to extreme nerves. I went to bed with my RNLI vest, leggings and trainers laid out on the table waiting for my alarm to go off and me to leap out of bed and attack the day. I didn't wake to the alarm, I awoke to a troop of howler monkeys in the zoo next door at 6am. I was having a dream about cycling around Bournemouth at the time, so the inclusion of a pack of rabid monkeys on rollerskates was an interesting image. I believe I'd even put a tutu on one of them.

I tried to eat some brekkie, which didn't go too well and then headed into the city to met up with Collette and walk down to the start line. The start was 9.50am and we got there at 8.30am. It was deserted. I found this very odd as most races I have been to, the loo queue forms at least 3 hours beforehand and grows exponentially by the hour. By 9am Regent Road was getting busy and I was busier trying to spot some of my Tweeting buddies. Sadly I didn't spot any :o( Hope to catch you next time guys x

The start was good - all downhill for the first few miles, although it was very, very, VERY warm. I was feeling fine and was on schedule for a 5 hour finish. At mile 10 we passed Musselburgh stadium and the finish line. I waved and told it I'd be back round in a few hours. About half a mile later the lead runner went legging it past on the other side of road only a mile or so from the finish. Not only did he have about a 6 mile lead, but he also managed a joke and wave with some bystanders. Freak.

I was going OK and passed the half way point at around 2.30hrs. But after this the shade stopped and the sun came out in full and nearly melted me. The rest of the route was out and back along the coast path. There were lots of supporters for most of it and the people of Edinburgh were brilliant. Many of them had hosepipes out to give us 'field showers' as we melted past. One of the good things about running for the RNLI is that any kid with a hosepipe who saw my immediately tried to "sink the lifeboat!" If it wasn't so hot I might have actually drowned.

Miles 16-18 were utter hell. These were spent running around a park with no shade and away from the coast there was no breeze either. I was suffering quite badly at this point. Passing one or two of the other RNLI runners at cross over points was a highlight as we high fived, punched the air or shouted 'Go Lifeboats!' With so few of us (I only saw 3 others running, and a couple who had done the half marathon), it was a big boost every time we saw each other and could have a litte chat.

Miles 18-21 were better. The aches and pains had eased slightly and the clouds briefly appeared to give us some respite from the heat. I managed to run quite a bit of these miles and although I knew I wasn't going to hit my 5hr finish by then, I hoped to be quite close to it. Alas no. At mile 22 the sun reappearred hotter than ever. By now it was after 2pm, I was sunburnt, my head was on fire, my feet had swelled so I'd had to stop and loosen my laces and my sportsbra had cut off my circulation to my back as my skin swelled up.

Only the Rocky music someone was blasting out from thier garden, blind determination, stubbornness and the knowledge that all my friends were willing me on got me over those last few miles. The shuffling run from mile 25 to the finish line was agony, and I apologise to all the crowds at the finish when I appeared, sweat-stained and grimacing with tears streaming down my face. But you know what? I was an emotional wreck and you didn't help by shouting my name and cheering me on. It was just too much for a The Sobster to take.

Official time: 5.39. Collette did a fabulous time of 4.10, and my twitter friends did amazing runs and got times from 3.50 to 4.50. We are all marathon runners guys!

Huge thanks to all the people of Edinburgh who were amazing, the organisers and marshalls who made sure we all got water and cheered so well, and the wonderfully lovely ladies of the RNLI charity tent who repaired Collette and I with sandwiches, coffee and massages. They are the reason I can still walk today.

A massive, massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored me for my year of crazy, you are all stars xx

Finally, this is not the end of the craziness, I have other things planned, but that's for another blog post. Right now I'm off to the pub for my first pint for 5 weeks. I think I've earned it.

Here's mud in your eye.

Sad afternote: Just heard the news of the runner who fell in the first few miles and sadly died. I had passed him at mile 7, surrounded by paramedics giving CPR. I know it shook everyone and my thoughts are with his family.

Tick, Tock

85 hours to go. That's right, I've resorted to hours, rather than days.

The training has all been completed and I am now sitting around, bored witless while I build up my energy reserves and allow all those niggly little aches and pains to settle down.

My lovely (but rather bright!) running vest from the RNLI turned up last week and my official marathon pack plopped on my mat the following day. So it's all rather real now. In 85 hours I'll be standing on a start line with a few thousand other maniacs feeling a bit nervous and needing the loo for the 6th time that morning. And (hopefully) in 90 hours I'll be an emotional wreck hobbling over the finish line with mascara streaming down my cheeks and a frizzy afro.

Unfortunately my hotel (which I booked over 6 months ago) has kicked me out for 'maintenance' and moved me 1 mile away to a "fabulous hotel with free use of the gym and pool". Oh excellent. I can do a few miles on the treadmill the night before *sigh*. To add insult to injury my mate, Collette, who is running as well, hasn't been moved. So the logistics of driving up the Edinburgh, dropping off at 2 hotels, getting into town for a tweetup, meeting my friend (whose birthday it is!), getting back to 2 hotels, figuring out where to leave the car during the race, getting back to the car afterwards, and then driving all the way back to Nottingham is giving me a headache.

Never mind. The weather is supposed to be perfect and I've just stuck my name onto my vest. So if you see me on the day, give me a wave. I'll be the only one in yellow who isn't a daffodil.

I'll let you know how it goes, after I get back, recover a bit and break my month of 'on-the-wagonness' with a day in the pub. Apparently alcohol numbs the pain. Honest.

Here's mud in your eye.

The Beast has been tamed, chained and stuck in a petting zoo

Challenge number one *tick* !

The Beast2010 has been tamed, caged, had a nice pedicure on its claws and been escorted to a little petting zoo in Hampshire so 10 year olds can pull its tail.

Here's a lovely picture of me and my BMF buddies freezing slightly before the race started. As you can see, there are plenty of layers going on at this stage. It was at most 2 degrees with a wind chill factor of about -35 (give or take a degree or two). The layers were soon dispatched to a car with one of our non-runners and we were off for a slippery, soggy, shivery race with an extra water feature this year and our lovely BMF instructors to 'cheer' us on.

Now, I know a lot of people have trouble figuring out what I mean by water features and jumps, so here's a couple of examples to give you an idea. There were 2 main water features (ie water above the waist) and about 32 different jumps involving huge logs of various heights, small ditches to jump, oversized vaulting horses, piled tyres and large wooden steps. With wet trail shoes and cold fingers, they can all be a bit tricky.

I can confirm I am a complete quitter... and only did the first 5mile lap. About half of our crew (and my twittery friend @WorTony) went the distance and 'did the double'. I can't even imagine how difficult the second lap must be with the course churned up by everyone else. So a big hearty blog shout goes out to them.

Highlights of the race??

• Hearing a squeal at mile 4 and turning round to see my friend Helen sliding gracefully sideways down the slope into a thornbush *snigger*.


• Getting a PB for the course at 56mins 54secs (1hr, 1min last year). YAY!

Bad points??

• Getting suspected hyperthermia, so sacking off the pub and spending the entire night shivering!


• The state of my trainers and socks afterwards :o/ (they were sparkly white at the start!)


• Slipping on one of the first jumps and getting a rather large bruise on my shin. However, we were armpit deep in ice cold water 2 mins later, so at least that kept the swelling down. Result!

All in all, it was a fabulously fun event which I am already looking forward to doing again! There's talk of a September event, and I'll be the first in the queue.

Well done to all the Pure Personal Training crew who put the event on and the British Military Fitness boys for screaming at me to get up that hill (love you Vinnie and Gaz!).

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me, and if you haven't so far, hopefully now you've seen what I'm putting myself through (!) you might consider giving.

Onwards to the next event (which couldn't be more different) - The Kilomathon!

Here's mud in your eye, but more in your trainers.

The Beast!

It's only 12 days to the first of my challenges this year - The Beast 2010! So I thought I would tell you a bit more about it.

The Beast is a double or quit race, which means it is two 5mile laps of the course and you can choose to 'Do the Double' or be a quitter. I'm a quitter! It is run over an equine x-country route, where we have to leap horse jumps, squelch through muddy pools and navigate fiendish obstacles being provided this year by those nice chaps from British Military Fitness (yes, them again!).

Last year it took me 1hr, 1min 1sec. So this year I'm aiming to not only beat that, but smash it into little pieces and bury it at the bottom of a water jump. By the way, this is a typical water jump...

There are quite a few of the BritMilfit group doing the run this year and apart from the fun of trying to get dry and get changed in a field full of runners afterwards (you end up in muddy water up to your armpits), I'm already salivating at the thought of the soup kitchen and beer tent being up and running again this year :0)

And why am I doing all this? To raise money for those wonderful RNLI people, who risk their lives every day on our coasts and waterways. Please consider sponsoring my challenges at www.justgiving.com/dobby.

I'll keep you posted of my time and might even post a picture of my trainers after the event. Last year they went in the bin within 3 mins of returning home due to the whiffiness!

Here's mud in your eye (and probably everywhere else)...

The Dobster is fundraising for RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - JustGiving

The Dobster is fundraising for RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - JustGiving

Yes, I am. So please by nice and sponsor me a little bit.

WHY!?!?! I hear you cry...

Well for one thing I'm a diver. For another I grew up by the sea and know the hard work the staff and crew of the RNLI put in every day of the year. But mostly its because they get no government funding, their lives are in danger on almost every call out and (as the recent floods prove) we all need their help, no matter where we live.


Up until now I have done a couple of minor runs, the odd 10k race and one (painfully slow) half-marathon, which involved more walking than running. So this year is going to be a bit of a challenge. But then if you have read my previous posts, you'll know my thoughts on challenges...

So what am up to?

28 February - The Beast. 5 miles over a x-country horse run, complete with (horse-sized) jumps, thick mud, hills and water-features rather deeper than is healthy for a 5ft 6 woman.

14 March - Britain's first Kilomathon. Its a marathon, but its in Km instead of miles. So thats about 26.2km to you and me. Its from Nottingham to Derby. I'm just hoping we don't have to walk home afterwards.

23 May - Edinburgh Marathon. The biggy. Its big. BIG. Never done a marathon before and this one looks great. I'll give you a wave when I pass a tv camera.


So, I hope you can help me get to my fundraising target, and if you specifically sponsor my blisters I'll post you pictures of them as proof. No really, I will.

Here's mud in your eye.



Posted using ShareThis